Heel-plate



F. DRAPER.

EEEL PLATE.

(No Model.)

No. 269,269. Patented Deo. 19, 1882.

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UNITED STATES PATENT.' einen.

FRANCIS DRAPER, OF BOSTON, MASSACHUSETTS.

HEEL-PLATE.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 269,269, dated December 19, 1882.

Application ilcd October 3D, 1882. (No model.) A

To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, FRANCIS DRAPER, of Boston, in the county ot Suffolk and State ot' Massachusetts. have invented an Improvement in Heel-Plates for Boots and Shoes, of which the following is a full, clear, and exact description, reference being had to the accompanying drawings, making part of this specification, in which- Figure lis a perspective view ot'aheel-plate constructed in accordance with my invention. Fig. 2 is an elevation of the same. Fig. 3 isa plan ot the under side ot' a heel with my improved heel-plate applied thereto. Fig. 4 is a vertical section on the line x a," of Fig. 3.

Mypresent invention relates to that class of heel-plates for boots and shoes cut or punched from a dat piece of metal, and provided with prongs at right angles thereto, this invention having special reference to that described and shown in Patent No. 148,392. The heel-plate constructed in accordance with said patent has a straight side provided with a series ot' Shanks or prongs arranged in a line parallel to and ilush with the edge ofthe straight side;7 which construction is objectionable for the following reasons: Aftcr continued use the prongs become disconnected from the metal of the dat portion ofthe plate at points immediately under and in line with the prongs, there being nothing to protect the bottoms ot' the prongs from contact with the ground, after which the dat body of the plate, having nothing to retain it in place, drops oft from the heel ot' the boot or shoe to which it was applied, and as a heel should outwear several plates a difliculty-arises in removing the old detached prongs ot' one plate to allow ot' the introduction ot' the prongs ot' a new plate. Again, the said heel-plate described in Patent No. 148,392 cannot be readilyr applied, owing to its liability of tipping to one side when struck by the hammer; and, furthermore, as said plate is letinto the heel iiush with its bottom, by removing' a portion of the lifts corresponding in size and depth with that of the plate, the heads of the nails, ordinarily located at this point, have either to be driven in or cut ott' to enable this to be done.

To remove the above-mentioned objections is the purpose of my present invention, which consists in a metal plate having one side curved to coliform to the curvature of the outer edge of the heel, and its other side of irregular form, provided with a series of prongs at right angles to the body of the plate for entering the heel, and a series ot'- projections on each side of the prongs and located in the same plane as the tlat body of' the plate, in order to balance the same and afi'ord suitable surfaces for the hammer to strike against when the prongs are being driven into the heel, whereby the plate is-broughtevenly upon and made to t snugly the bottom of the heel, the dropping oft' ot' the flat portion ot the plate, alter being separated from the prongs, occasioned bythe constant wear at the bottoms ot' the prongs, as well as the crippling or bending of the same, and the cutting of the heel incident to heelplates not provided with said projections, being entirely avoided.

To enable others skilled in the art to understand and use my invention, I will proceed to describe the mannerin which I have carried it out.

In the said drawings, A represents'a heelplate cutor punched out of a tlat piece ot' metal, said plate having a curved side, a., corresponding to the curvature of that portion of the heel which wears unevenly, and its other side, b, of irregular t'orrn, and provided with a series ot' curved projections, c, and a series of pointed prongs, d, each prong being located between two contiguous projections, and being struck or bent up at right angles to the tlat body of the plate, the prongs being arranged out ot' line with each other, and the bottom c of each, where it projects up from the dat portion, being so bent as to occupy a position in a hori zontal plane above that passing through said tlat portion, the said projections affording convenient surfaces for receiving the blows ot' the hammer when the prongs are being forced into the holes prepared for them in the bottom ofthe heel by means ot' an awl.

The location ot the projections on each side of the prongs serves to guard the bottoms of the latter and protects them from being worn so rapidly as would be the case were the prongs turned down on a line with the straight side ot' the plate, as set forth in the patent herein referred to, the prongs in a plate constructed in accordance with my invention lasting as long as and remaining integral with the plate IOO till the latter is worn out. By means of the projections I am enabled to seat the flat portion of the plate squarely on the outside of the bottom of the heel, no tipping of the plate or crippling of the prongs occurring, and no cutting away of a portion of the heel or cutting oi' or driving in of nails to properly apply the plate being necessary.

I claim- As an improvement in stationary heelplates, a flat sectional heehprotector, A, of metal, having a curved side, a, corresponding to the curvature ofthe outer edge of the heel to which it is to be applied, and an irregular side, b, formed by a series of prongs, d, at right angles to the ilat surface of the plate, and a series of projections, c, lying in the same plane with and extending from the. said Hat surface beyond the prongs, and located on each side thereof, in order to constitute guards tl1eretbr,whereby they are protected from being unduly worn and separated from the dat portion of the plate at their points of intersection therewith, the construction and arrangement of the several parts being as described, for the purpose set forth.

Witness my baud this 14th day of October, 1882.

FRANCIS DRAPER. 'ln presence of- JAs. W. CHAPMAN, N. W. STEARNS. 

